On April 12-14, more than 500 grassroots community leaders gathered in Washington, DC for National People’s Action, a major gathering of community organizing groups across the nation. At that gathering hundreds of leaders from African American, Latino, Asian, and urban and rural communities joined the Building America Together campaign and endorsed the FIRM Pledge. FIRM and NPA members then held a series of actions on a range of issues important to low-income and minority communities, including the foreclosure crisis and immigration reform. For more information go to www.npa-us.org. On Monday, April 14, NPA and FIRM organized an action at the Department of Homeland Security demanding that the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service quickly address naturalization backlogs that could deny hundreds of thousands of immigrants an opportunity to vote this fall. At that action, USCIS agreed to a national meeting and local follow-up meetings to discuss progress on the backlogs.

At the bottom of this update, please fine included an excerpt from a statement made by Senator Obama on the issue of immigration. It’s noteworthy in that it represents a rhetorical shift toward “requiring” legalization in an unfortunate nod to Americans concerned about sounding tough on immigrants. At the same time, Senator Obama argues against the politics of division and bitter partisanship that derailed the immigration bill last year.

A story coming out of Texas demonstrates the sad state of affairs in the nation’s immigration debate. A young girl who claimed to have been attacked by Hispanic students for submitting an anti-immigrant homework assignment lied about the assault, but the truth came to light following a wave of angry anti-immigrant media. For a sample story, go to http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gZ1nT1vVtsPjlF3OBXD7k6zJzmkQD8VUT0601.

A coalition of organizations have developed a detailed analysis of recently issued regulations that would govern the H2A Visa program, used primarily for agricultural workers.

FIRM Member Activities

The Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition celebrated a victory in the State legislature last week when an appropriations committee voted against a proposal to double the state’s immigration enforcement patrol. For more information, contact julien@coloradoimmigrant.org.

Obama: Enforce tighter border, employer verifications

One of my fundamental beliefs is that for too long we have had a politics of division and distraction in Washington that’s stopped us from coming together to bring about real change. There are few better examples of how broken our politics has become than the immigration debate. Just last summer, we saw comprehensive reform fail in part because of bitter partisanship.

While I understand the passions — and legitimate differences — on both sides of this difficult issue, we must restore civility and reason to the conversation. The longer we go without comprehensive reform, the more pronounced this problem will become.

We must find common ground and take action on the two central issues that lie at the heart of this debate — and we cannot effectively address one without addressing the other at the same time.

First, we must reinforce our borders to deter the more than 2,000 immigrants who cross them illegally each day. Most of these aspiring laborers risk death in the desert to come here illegally, and they are diverting our attention from those trying to enter to do us harm.

Strengthening the border requires equipping Customs and Border Protection agents with better technology and real-time intelligence, improving infrastructure, and making smart choices about where patrols should be deployed.

We also have to ensure that employers are hiring only legal workers. That’s why I’ve worked with Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley and Democratic Sen. Max Baucus to make it significantly more difficult — if not impossible — for employers to hire workers who are here illegally, including the more than 40 percent who came legally and overstayed their visa.

This will require a mandatory electronic system that enables employers to verify the legal status of their employees within days of hiring them.

Second, we must require the 12 million undocumented immigrants who are already here, including more than 300,000 in North Carolina, to step out of the shadows and onto a path that includes the ability to earn citizenship by demonstrating a sound character, a commitment to America, and a strong work ethic.

We have to understand that many immigrants want to get right with the law. They work in their communities, pay taxes, and have become an integral part of our society.

While it’s unrealistic to deport them, illegal entry cannot go unpunished. That’s why we must require them to pay a fine, learn English, and get to the back of the line for citizenship behind those who came here legally.

We are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants, and we must reconcile those traditions. It’s time to move beyond our broken politics and achieve real progress on immigration reform, not just for the sake of passing a bill, and not as a favor to immigrants, but so that we can finally address the concerns of the American people, and make real the hopes of all those who want nothing more than a chance at the American Dream.